


The Drafter

by Vindictive_Glory



Category: Naruto
Genre: Canonical Character Death, F/M, Kekkei Genkai | Bloodline Limit, Smart Uzumaki Naruto, Strong Uzumaki Naruto, Uzumaki Clan-centric
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:39:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23992429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vindictive_Glory/pseuds/Vindictive_Glory
Summary: Naruto discovers an ability thought lost to his bloodline on the night of the forbidden scroll incident. Some may argue that the losses on that night severely outweigh the good. Naruto is dealt a mixed hand of jokers and one singularly, important Ace, what does this mean for Konoha and Naruto's dreams of becoming Hokage? Read to find out.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 14





	1. The Contract

**The Drafter**

**Disclaimer: I do not make nay claim to ownership.**

**Chapter 1: The Contract Seal**

* * *

Heaving, he rolled a scroll of olive green and beige closed and neatly placed it upright. He re-positioned his goggles around his neck and sat down quietly. His calm actions not belaying what he felt internally.

He kept his composure for all of two seconds, then he knit his brows together in perceived pain, and some from his graduating class may make the joke that thinking was certainly painful for the young blonde.

Slapping his sticky forehead in frustration, Naruto threw the Forbidden Scroll of seals against an adjacent tree, huffing in indignation, and above all, in despair. This was it, he remarked internally, he was going to fail-again.

A breeze filtered through the forest, soft and caressing, and cool against his skin. He stared hard at the scroll, willing the infernal scroll to incinerate on the spot.

If only he was an Uchiha like that bastard Sasuke, then he really would burn the thing back to before Konoha.

Unfortunately, it wasn't to be, and worst still, an eagle, small and thin landed on his shoulder. Its beak was broken and one of its eyes marred with an old wound that cut across its off-white feathers, vertically, bypassing, its sickening yellow eye.

In his frustration he swatted the eagle away, feeling several ridges and clumps of bald spots where the feathers of the pathetic bird grew no more.

Miraculously it disappeared, a fog of white had obscured its form as if by a miniature smoke bomb. Naruto couldn't recall the exact details at that very moment, but in the near future, it would be clear as day.

"Just… What the hell?" Naruto chocked, what exactly was this? Did he kill the bird?

Ultimately it didn't matter, he spied the scroll once more, it was close to that time when Mizuki would return, and if he hadn't mastered the Jutsu by that point-well it wasn't something he liked to think about.

Naruto threw his jacket off, a grim look of determination set on his face as if carved to endure for the eons.

Just as he reached the scroll, he was stopped in his tracks."Naruto! Just what are you doing?"

Shit! He thought that he had more time. "Iruka-sensei? What are you doing here? Where's Mizuki-sensei?"

"What-The better question is what are _you_ doing here?" exclaimed his sensei, pointing an accusing finger at Naruto, his face contorted in exasperation.

"What do you mean? Iruka-sensei. I'm doing the make-up up Genin test! Mizuki said it was the only way I could become a shinobi." explained Naruto. "He said I had to get the scroll from the old man's mansion and learn a Jutsu from it."

"Mizuki?" Iruka paused, his mouth didn't seem to have caught up with his brain. "Why would-"

"Ahh, so you managed to get the scroll, eh Naruto?" a deep voice echoed from the darkness of the clearing.

The voice rattled around, seemingly coming from everywhere and nowhere, and if not for his quick thinking and great reflexes and a lot of luck; a mass of hulking steel would have carved right through his black-clad chest.

Naruto whirled around at the sound of wind rushing by and found the owner of the voice, bangs as silver as the moonlight fell from beneath a dark bandanna.

"Well, I'll take this then." grinned Naruto's sensei. "Thank you, Naruto."

"What? Mizuki-sensei? Does this mean I pass?" asked Naruto, his brain was still trying to come to terms with whatever was going on but something definitely felt off.

"Naruto! Get away from him. Mizuki has betrayed the village. He tricked you into stealing the scroll. There is no make-up test." exclaimed Iruka, with a certain urgency to his voice, that Naruto didn't feel like acknowledging at that point.

Naruto drew a handful of shuriken from his thigh, and released them, each of the five, finding purchase on his sensei's face before he burst into smoke, revealing a log in his place.

Naruto darted his head from here to there as the fog receded and the last echoes of the shuriken impacting the solid wood faded.

"Tut-tut, Naruto, not so fast." grinned Mizuki, throwing a dark look his way. "I still haven't had my fair share of fun." Mizuki smiled thinly, "but first," he palmed a kunai and brought it across his forehead, where the metal plate that bore Konoha's insignia laid. "Now that, that is sorted, let get to work, shall we?"

Naruto stood sidewards, just as the academy had taught him, guarding his throat protectively with a kunai that mirrored the light of the moon, its sheen giving him just a little bit of light.

"Naruto, do you know why everyone hates you? Why every single person in Konoha hates you-"

"Mizuki! It is forbidden!" exclaimed Iruka, stepping forward ever so slightly, reaching toward his thigh.

"Forbidden? _Forbidden?_ Do you not see my forehead protector? I am no longer bound by the laws of this mud-hole! I am no longer part of the system that allows monstrosities like this to **live**." exclaimed Mizuki pointing a dangerous finger at Naruto, shaking in fury. "Yes! That's right, you scum. You are the monster of Konoha! You are the Kyūbi no Yōko. Everything the villagers of this cesspool of shit ever told you was the truth."

Naruto clenched, and unclenched his palms, dropping the kunai in his right hand, the seconds seemed to pass by as if they were hours, his eyes wide and the kunai fell heavily to the earth below with a resounding thud.

Every word: every insult, every comment, and all the venom in those glares; in that a short moment they all made sense. It all clicked into place.

In almost an instant it was as if his axis had been spun, and he turned a complete one-eighty, the seconds streamed by faster than they ought to, and all Naruto could remember, was catching the great scroll of forbidden Jutsu, it seemed to burn against his skin now that he knew the truth.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Naruto get out of here!" exclaimed Iruka, his voice turning as cold as the steel of Naruto's discarded kunai. "GO!"

Naruto surged to his left, not a second later, griping on to the scroll of seals, and hugging it tightly.

He caught himself in motion and his feet refused to move, and he became rooted to the spot, like the trees that surrounded him.

He was a demon. Just like the villagers had said, each and every time. He was the Kyūbi no Yoko. He was the demon fox of Konoha. And now that he thought about it… maybe their hate was justified. He killed fathers, mothers, sisters, and brothers. Maybe he killed his own father and mother? What about grandparents? Did he kill them too? And did he even have a father or mother? He was just a demon after all.

Naruto saw images of himself in his minds-eye, a shot of his reflection from all sides. His reflection in the water, and in the mirror, then his favorite table at the academy from varying angles.

He saw those whisker marks morph, and that foxy grin-as fake as plastic-into a sharp-faced fox with eyes the color of blood. Snarling teeth that dripped crimson and teeth stained a deep brown.

Dark pieces of rotted meat stuck between his razor-sharp teeth, and the fur that covered his face absorbed the rest of the blood that he had spilled. The metallic ring of blood drifted into his nose and he licked his lips.

Voices began filtering in, and at first, it was as if they uttered in a tongue so alien, Naruto thought they had come from a faraway place, perhaps beyond even earth country, and then they began making sense.

"Why do you fight for the demon?" the one voice asked the other, dripping with venom, Mizuki, Naruto realized. "He killed your parents. Your mother and your father. He sent you into a childhood of loneliness."

"You're w-wrong!" the other voice chocked, it was Iruka-sensei, and Naruto listened with bated breath. "He is not what you think! He is Naruto Uzumaki and he holds the demon at bay! Every day that he lives is another day that the monster within suffers. You were a prodigy at fuinjutsu, are you telling me, that the big idiot of the class, Iruka Umino figured it out before, even you? A supposed "Fuinjutsu Genius"?"

"FUCK YOU! That demon ate my little sister! Right in front of me! And just passed me by like I didn't even matter! Like I was nothing! I will never forgive it, even if it takes my last dying breath. That demon is going to feel my cold steel." Mizuki thundered in return, and then there was the rattle of steel meeting steel, and Naruto was startled back into movement.

Naruto strapped the forbidden scroll to his back, and pumped more energy into his legs, barely even noticing the small, barely noticeable flow of chakra surging toward his legs, hastening his movement, sending leaves billowing around him.

He dove behind a tree and kept his ears perked, the sound of steel biting steel and their accompanying groans filtered throughout the forest.

Naruto couldn't just sit here, he had to do something. But what? What could he possibly do? He couldn't even use the Clone Jutsu. He was useless. Maybe he didn't deserve to become a ninja? Maybe it was better if he was failed anyway?

What if he had a team? How could they rely on someone so useless?

"N-no… NO!" he slammed his fist into his palm and stood up. This wasn't the time for his self-doubt. Iruka-sensei was out there fighting for his life, he respected Naruto and saw him as a person, and not the demon.

Naruto formed a cross-hand seal, layering his index and middle fingers over each other in the traditional symbol for addition. "Here we go, Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Naruto flared his chakra, it escaped his body and there was a puff of smoke, and in his place was a spooky-looking clone with more bottom than top. Most of the top looked like some apparition of blue spectral energy.

"Dammit!" Naruto shouted, slamming a chakra enhanced hand into the tree, denting it some. Except, this time there was a puff of smoke, and standing upon a layer of black ink was the Eagle from before, it squawked, furiously flapping its wings, before becoming level and landing on its pair of yellow feet, its talons seemed to be its only saving grace.

"What was that for? couldn't you call me on the ground like a normal person? You wouldn't believe how weird it is being summoned to your side!" exclaimed the eagle, peering dangerously through its lone dark eye.

"Wait-" Naruto paused, pointing a shaky finger at the ugly bird. "You can talk?"

"I'm just as surprised as you. I know I was never able to do it before." the eagle shrugged its scarred wings. "but I feel-I don't know, as if you and I are like some kind of-" the eagle paused, pacing back and forth, before taking to the air and landing on his shoulder. Its talons were strong but Naruto made no move to push it aside. "we are like the flock, I think. I also have this feeling, this power inside me, that I never felt before."

The eagle thought Naruto was like his what? Family? Naruto didn't like that. How pathetic would he have to be? Maybe he meant team? Yeah, that sounded… reasonable.

"Yeah, we could be a team." Naruto put the rest of what the eagle said aside, scratching his chin, it was his turn to start pacing. Whatever this was, it must be some kind of Jutsu. Maybe he could still help Iruka. He just needed time, and it wasn't his first choice, but it was the only one he had if he wanted to save Iruka and his own hide.

"Okay, this is what we're going to do," Naruto whispered to the scarred eagle. It nodded, its eyes glinting intelligently before taking to the skies.

Naruto clenched his fist and palmed a kunai in the other hand, whatever came next meant nothing if he couldn't protect the scroll, let alone Iruka.

"Aww cute, you know to hold a kunai, but let's see if you know how to use one why don't we? Ehh little demon." a voice seemed to grin in the darkness.

Naruto froze, gripping tighter on to the handle of his kunai. Where was Iruka?

"Mizuki! Where is-Where is Iruka?" Naruto's voice shook with some trepidation.

"Oh I wouldn't worry about him if I was you." the silver-haired man stepped forth from the darkness, ugly bands of red crisscrossed over his face.

"W-what the hell is wrong with your face?" Naruto shook, staring in abject horror.

"Oh, this?" the silver-haired nuke-nin gestured casually to the inflamed ribbons that marred his face. "Sometimes the innocent have to become monsters to do what is just."

Naruto for the first time, in his short life, was quiet. He stared for a second longer, before releasing his kunai, his aim true, and his body mere feet behind it. "You're crazy!"

Naruto was already priming a pair of shuriken, Mizuki's eyes widened. There was no way, was there? He had no time to contemplate this as Naruto released one of the two, it arced wide around Mizuki, and the blonde dived through his legs, and when he did, he knew he had underestimated the blonde.

What a sneaky little demon. He knew that foxes were supposed to be tricksters but he had never imagined it to be quite so literal.

Naruto soon found his feet, and ran two steps up the tree behind Mizuki before leaping off of it with a great push, flipping through the air, he returned to his previous position. With one last grin at the silver-haired Chunin, he threw his shuriken, in an extremely wide arc to left and tightened the predicament his former sensei was in.

As the shuriken landed, an almost invisible sheen displayed Mizuki entangled in razor-sharp wire, that gleamed ominously in the dark forest. It tore straight through Mizuki, leaving only wooden chunks in his wake.

"Ohoho, so the fox does have some teeth after all." grinned the Chunin from up above. "maybe this will be fun."

There was a flutter of movement, the haze of the moonlight, and a flutter of leaves dispersing around Naruto.

"OURGGH!" Naruto gurgled, staring into the eyes of his former sensei, who had-until just barely a moment ago-been several feet away. His knee buried in the blonde's stomach.

"Don't be afraid to scream!" Mizuki lashed out with a back-handed fist that sent Naruto reeling a step back, pink spittle spraying from his mouth.

He hacked and coughed as he hunched over, taking a further step back from his sensei, although not voluntarily.

"You will die in Kurohana's honor." and for just a moment, the maniacal face of his former sensei was gone, and its place, something Naruto had seen every time he had looked into the mirror.

Sadness. Could this psycho truly feel _sadness?_

Naruto froze, and it was enough for Mizuki to close the distance. He threw a flurry of punches; everyone found purchase, the last was accompanied by the crunch of his rib.

Still standing, Naruto didn't step back, and his eyes didn't drop. Mizuki saw something he didn't like. Maybe the lack of fear? Or the defiant fire in his blue eyes; regardless he made his displeasure known.

Another blow found its mark, shock-waves rattled from his left cheek to right cheek, and he jerked through the air, tumbling until he was stopped by the unforgiving embrace of a rather thick tree.

"Fight back you stupid demon," Mizuki shouted enraged. "Do something! Make me feel alive. I won't let you die just yet. Not yet. You have to pay for Kurohana."

His mind a jumble of puzzle pieces that refused to mingle with each other, who was this sicko speaking about? How could he even focus on that when his very bones felt as if they were weapons for Mizuki to use against the blonde?

"W-Wh-" Naruto chocked on his blood, coughing and releasing a rattling rasp. "Who-"

"N-Naru-To didn't kill your sister you idiot." the voice belonged to Iruka. "Now leave Naruto alone. you've done enough. Touch him again and I will- I'll end y-you."

Iruka was crawling on all fours, cuts marring every angle of his body. His usually green flak jacket was now an amalgam of purple, maroon and gray.

Somehow, despite dragging himself all this way, he propped himself on to his right knee; his breathing ragged but the fire in his eyes wasn't any dimmer for it.

"I would stay down if I were you Iruka. I-I don't want to hurt you anymore. Please stay down." Mizuki almost sounded remorseful towards the end.

There it was again-What was this guy's deal? He looked truly sad and remorseful. And yet, he flipped the switch and became that-that delusional psycho.

Naruto leaned forward, crunching his teeth in the flesh that he found between the phalanges of Mizuki's left hand. "Urgh, you brat!"

Mizuki punched Naruto between his eyes with his free hand, Naruto squinted, as his eyes watered, and his head rattled. He fell back against the tree.

Iruka found his way onto shaky legs, his once tightly kept hair, now fell loosely around his blood-caked face. "I said if you lay another hand on Naruto that I'm going to kill. And I am going to kill you Mizuki. Make no mistake!"

Naruto studied Iruka closely, taking note of his dark leg bindings, trails of red flowed under the straps of his sandals.

"I'm shaking in my sandals." Mizuki grinned, flipping a kunai into his hand and swiftly burying it into Iruka's shoulder.

"Urgh!" Iruka gurgled, spitting blood into the air like some kind of morbid mist.

"You couldn't do it last time, and you're in no state to do it now. Just lay down and hope the medics get to you in time." Mizuki shrugged, turning his attention to Naruto. It was his undoing.

Iruka crashed into Mizuki throwing him a few feet away, into an opposing tree. Mizuki picked himself off the ground, trying to shake the cobwebs out.

"You're forgetting one thing you delusional bastard. I am already dead, it's just a matter of time." Naruto gasped beside him, he turned to Naruto and gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry Naruto, this is going to be over soon. Maybe I was too tough on you before. Here." Iruka untied his Hitae-ate from his forehead and passed it to Naruto. "Keep it safe for me, won't you? I expect you to be wearing it when I see you again."

Naruto took the forehead protector in trembling hands as he supported himself on the tree he rested against. What did Iruka-sensei mean? Was he-Was he going to? Naruto swallowed thickly. Too afraid to complete that last thought.

Mizuki's fist crushed the space Iruka's fist had previously occupied. A fist found itself wrist-deep in the silver-haired man's stomach, spittle flew across Naruto's face, he blinked and in the time it took him to open his eyes, Mizuki and Iruka had migrated to the tree line on the other side.

Was this really the strength of shinobi? Was he kidding himself into thinking he could become a ninja? Naruto inched himself off the tree. He muffled a moan into the back of his fist and balanced his footing.

He zeroed in on Iruka and Mizuki, his eyes following their movements almost hungrily. He would learn.

Iruka grabbed Mizuki before Naruto's wide eyes and unzipped his flak-jacket, Naruto couldn't see why, but Mizuki flinched back, eyes wide.

Iruka wouldn't let him budge, and then he said in equal parts resigned and peaceful, "Katsu!"

First came the flames, white-hot and ever-expanding. Sweat greeted Naruto's brows, and then came the bang, loud enough that it rattled Naruto's insides and last was the orange ball of flames that burnt the leaves of the trees around them, creating a great ring of fire.

Naruto stood in the center of the clearing, sweat racing down the side of his jaw, and his face pale against the brilliant flames. He moved his lips but no sound escaped his lips.

Suddenly there was a figure, dark and crawling. Naruto readied himself, and a large part of himself was ready to get Iruka to the hospital as soon as he could. Another, quiet, area of his head told him to run. To run and never look back, but he wouldn't listen.

Out of the flames came a figure with dark hair, singed at the end, parts of his skin seared black and he smelled of burnt pork. "That was a good try, he almost had me, but it isn't so easy to kill me."

Mizuki breathed raggedly, his hair burnt black and stripes of glowing orange reached across his cheeks, and before Naruto's very eyes he spied the blackened flesh receded to an inflamed red.

His bandanna seemed to have burnt off completely, streaks of silver mingling in with black that fell to his pink flesh in the middle of his forehead.

"A shame for his death to be in vain, you should have run when he told you to. He could have still survived." Mizuki rumbled, his voice raw. "It's your fault that he is d-dead."

Naruto wasn't paying attention. All could hear was the steady beat of his heart. _THUMP! THUMP!_ And when it reached its crescendo the sound of blood rushed to his ears, and the smell of smoke overcame his sensors, he focused on Mizuki, noticing the rise and fall of his chest, and the rapid beat of his heart.

The smell of burnt flesh distracted him, looking beyond Mizuki he saw his sensei, tears escaped his eyes, and he clawed at his heart, he clamped down on the fabric and let out a hulking and guttural roar at the mass of burnt flesh and melted clothing.

Chakra bubbled to the surface, red-hot and taking the form of a snarling fox above him. His eyes became deep crimson and his pupils narrowed into slits. He growled, revealing his dangerously glinting canines.

He balled his hands into fists, digging the hardened dagger-like nails into the flesh of his palms. "I'm going to kill you!"

Naruto stormed forward-for there was no way to describe it besides and unstoppable force of nature-Mizuki was rooted to the spot, whether by fear or something else, Naruto didn't stop to consider; breaking the silence he swung his fist into the older man's jaw, between two stripes that resembled irons left to sit in the fire.

Mizuki was jerkily forced to take a step back, and yet Naruto didn't relent, he followed it up with a powerful fist to the Chunins stomach and a swift kick to the man's knee that brought him to size.

Steam seemed to radiate from his skin where each punch connected.

"G-Good," coughed Mizuki, spraying Naruto's shirt with blood. "but you have to know, demon, that is who I'm talking to now ri-"

Before Mizuki could finish Naruto knocked him with another punch, just below the jaw, swiftly shutting him up. "You-Talk-Too-Much!"

Naruto punched him as he said each word, almost as if to underline each word, until the very last punch. Mizuki absorbed the impact of the punch into the palm of his hand and tightened his grip on it. "That's it demon! Make me feel alive."

Mizuki slowly rose from his kneeling position, towering above Naruto, he grinned. His face ugly with thick ropes of red and orange that burned across his skin, and it even seemed to extend towards his hands.

The silver-haired Chunin-now dark-haired-punched Naruto in the face, once, twice, three times, not letting go of his fist. He pulled Naruto closer and kicked into Naruto's chest, pulling on his fist, willing his foot to exit the other side.

Finally, it gave way and he was forced to release his hold on Naruto. The blonde struck the sandy floor below, dry leaves drifted into the air, and he rolled and he tumbled and he came to a stop landing on his front.

"Even the power of the demon can't help you, Naru-Demon!" exclaimed Mizuki, stumbling at the very end, chocking and almost vomiting the last word out.

Naruto crawled on to his feet, still hunched over, and charged Mizuki, running uncharacteristically on all fours. His body corkscrewed up, landing a fist in the middle of Mizuki's chin, lifting his feet an inch off the floor, the accompanying crack was almost deafening.

Naruto spun on his heel and sunk his foot into Mizuki's gut before he so much as grunted from the impact of the previous uppercut.

The Chunin flipped through the air and landed on the trunk of a tree, squatting against it, and defying the very laws of physics he massaged his jaw.

"No more playing around," Mizuki pounced forward, palming a pair of shuriken that he launched through the air, one low and one high; while he positioned his body into the middle point barreling through the air like some kind of human harpoon.

Animalistic instincts were on Naruto side, as he weaved between the kunai, avoiding them almost expertly, his eyes flashed blue for a moment, then he caught sight of Mizuki, the smell of his fist crashed into his nose.

Iruka-sensei? Miasma bubbled around Naruto, he saw a bird above and flutters in the wind. In an instant Naruto had buried his fingers in Mizuki's throat, his claws biting into Mizuki's throat like butter.

Blood oozed onto his fingers like gravy, pulsing down his arm and he snarled ripping his fingers from his throat. Mizuki fell to his knees, his dark eyes looked into Naruto's own; almost pleading.

It was enough for Naruto to realize what he had done, the miasma that covered his fist receded. His nails and eyes regressed back to normal, and all of a sudden he hunched over. The pain and the exhaustion flooded in. He fell to his knees, and the last thing he saw was a smattering of animal masks and the scarred wings of an eagle.

* * *

**AN: New concept I've decided to try out, you will, of course, get a good idea about what it is about from the summary, but I guess I can go into a few specifics. What Naruto is using really is a sort of Kekkei-Genkai. It really is quite powerful lore-wise and as a plot-device.**

**Just think of the kind of possibilities that are available to me when these animals or involved, and when you think of the abilities of standard summons, you'll soon realize just how powerful Naruto will become. Although it will be believable.**

**I opted not to have Naruto have the Kage Bunshin and this new ability because on its own it is already haxed, couple that with a sort of summoning Jutsu that doesn't appear to require blood? Yeah, that is certainly one way to make an op Naruto. Also, my reasoning is simple, The Shadow Clone Jutsu is actually horribly complicated if you think of it on a technical basis. I mean it is a very diluted version of Onmyoton.**

**I mean yeah Jonin can use it, but they** _**are** _ **Jonin for a very good reason. Maybe they don't understand the implications of the Jutsu's nature but they are still able to pull it off with their advanced grasp of chakra control.**

**Anyway, Thank you for taking the time to read, and if you don't mind, any comments or critiques would be welcome.**


	2. Dark Nights

**The Drafter**

**Disclaimer: Nah still don't own shit.**

**Chapter 2: Dark Nights**

* * *

"So, what have you discovered, Reishiro?" asked Hiruzen.

He peered at a dark-haired man, with pupilless eyes, resting his chin atop his intermingled fingers.

"The specimen is special, that much I had managed to infer. The chakra system is a new one." Reishiro picked up a notebook and shuffled through the pages, he then continued. "Although the chakra is still in its developmental stage, the groundwork, namely the chakra pathway system, is in place."

"When you say developmental stage, what exactly are you saying? And what kind of chakra pathway system have you seen exactly." the old man stroked his beard, gazing out the window as small birds fluttered through the clouds. "The bird is clearly quite old, whatever meager chakra system it has in place should be far beyond the final stages of development. Indeed, given the state of the bird, I'd go as far as to say the bird's chakra system as gone into degradation."

"Ordinarily you'd be correct, Hokage-sama, however, this case is far different from that, and if you would give me more information on the specimen, I'd be able to discuss without this conjecture," Reishiro frowned, having gone over this argument more than once, he continued. "nevertheless, there is a trace of an old, simplistic chakra system; the very same system that normal animals in the wilderness are prone to having. However, overlaying that is, as I said, a Chakra pathway system in the midst of developing."

"Would you say the system it is developing is similar to that of a summon animal?" His eyes seemed to gleam for just a moment. " And how familiar is it to the average shinobi's chakra pathway system?"

"I know you hold the scroll for the Monkey Clan of 'Saru'," said Reishiro, flipping through his notebook until Hiruzen could see a page with a detailed diagram of the human body. "And you know, I may not be an innovator in the field of chakra theory, but I am a shinobi, and the reason you don't have the best on the job is that you need secrecy. I can do that, but please…" Reishiro sighed, gripping onto his side of the desk tightly with is free arm. "Let me know whats going on. I would like to further my own knowledge, and I can't do that unless you give me the specifics. With all due respect, Hokage-sama."

"With all due respect?" Hiruzen's eyes turned cold as stone. "It is precisely because you are a shinobi that you should not be questioning me. If I do indeed feel the need to let you in the loop, then I shall do so. However, until then I would ask you to keep your nose in your notebook and away from other matters."

"It is as you say, Hokage-sama," answered Reishiro stiffly. "I, of course, will follow your commands on this occasion, but do remember, I am a shinobi first and my duty to this village is there only. I will not be spoken to as if my intelligence is that of a low-born," he said then, narrowing his eyes. "This is the last time you will take advantage of my skills to your own ends without offering me anything in return. I was warned against deals with you by my fellow clan-mates, you took advantage of my thirst for knowledge, I am not so foolhardy as to repeat it."

"You offered your life in the defense of this village, and this is in defense of that village, and you ought to remember that." Hiruzen placed his pipe on the table, he got out of his seat. "I can take away that forehead protector that guards your greatest shame, just as easy as I can strip you of your head, and nobody would bat an eyelid. You think because you are Hyuga that you are above the rest of the shinobi populace, but it couldn't be further from the truth." The Hokage paced around his office. He stopped behind Reishiro and placed his hand on his shoulder. The grip was tight. It wasn't the hand of the benevolent leader, or the kindly grandfather, nor even the fierce warrior. It was the hand of a true shinobi. "Count yourself lucky that I allow you to learn what you can from this, and leave you with your memories."

Reishiro placed a hand on his left arm, wincing, he nodded in reluctant acceptance. "I understand, Hokage-sama-" _but this is not the end, you will pay Sarutobi. If it the last thing I do, I will make this village pay, up until the last Hyuuga!_

"Perfect, so you wanted to see my summons? Very well." the venerable Hokage drew blood off the edge of his tooth and completed the hand seal sequence. He slammed his palm into the office floor below. A script encircled his palm, three prongs of script striking outward in either direction.

Out of the fog appeared a bipedal monkey, white fur peaking out of its black kimono at the top, and hakama pants at the bottom near the ankle. Its hair was long, and it's sideburns thick. Around its middle, it wore a vest of fur, decorated with stripes of black and a tan orange. The outfit was all kept together by a deep crimson obi that looked as though it had been dipped in blood.

"Allow me to introduce, Monkey King Enma, my most trusted adviser." The Hokage gestured proudly towards his summons. _Kami save the village if our Hokage's most trusted advisory is a pet monkey._ "So, what is it you need a summon for?"

"Do not be alarmed, Hokage-sama, this is only for research purposes." Reishiro cautioned, making a show of making a single-handed hand seal, and enunciating quite clearly, "Byakugan!"

Reishiro felt his chakra rush to his eyes almost instantaneously, blood surged to the area around his eyes, and with each heartbeat, he could feel it thump. He studied the creature's chakra pathway system intently. "Interesting, the same, but not quite," he mumbled, then.

"What are you talking about? What have you found?" Reishiro had to repress the urge to roll his eyes as they throbbed with energy, willing him to seek deeper within.

"The two specimens are _quite similar_ , except for a few clear distinctions. The Eagle has extra tenketsu that are active, and while different species of chakra wielding beings will undoubtedly have different formations of the chakra system; this is remarkably _different._ They have an extra sub-stem, this system is used to aid in the use of Ninjutsu, you'll find this in almost every Kekkei-Genkai user and a scale so small that it is even difficult for the most talented user of the Byakugan to see, and that's only if they pour all their power into their eyes."

"What exactly does that mean?" The Hokage asked.

Hiruzen stroked his beard, paying close attention to Reishiro. His eyes glinted as the light filtered in from the large window on the east side of the office.

"Essentially, and it matches with some of the legends that I've read. It is said, that the summons of old, and for that matter, the ninja of old could use Ninjutsu without hand signs, no matter the scale. That eagle possesses such a trait. It could be a summon from the old age; I don't quite understand how, given the state of its chakra system… yet everything else points to it…" Reishiro trailed off, looking past the summons, and out the window, he caught sight of a bird outside of the window.

The Hokage cleared his throat, and he turned back to the Hokage and his pet monkey. "Is there anything else you can tell me?"

"A few other things, the chakra system seems to have a lot, and when I say a lot, I mean a great deal of Yin chakra left over. It is almost foreign but not quite. It is centered around a source of chakra, a secondary one, much like a Jinchuriki." he thrummed his fingers against the sling of his left arm. "There is more Yin chakra residue in this bird than the amount leftover from the Uchiha massacre. More than the amount that was found in the Uchiha boy." _Yes, let that sink in. I hold information, and whatever you throw at me is nothing but baseless threats. Your mind-readers will forever be trapped within my mind._ "It took me a while to trace it, and a lot of focus, but there is a bond between the two of you-your monkey and yourself-there are minute traces of your chakra deep within. Very much similar to a Jinchurki's situation. However, where your presence is a drop, that within the eagle is akin to a lake."

"Thank you," The Hokage said after a moment, "You may go." the Hokage returned to pacing neatly up and down his office, not paying Reishiro any further attention. He had much to think about.

* * *

**Konoha Shinobi Hospital**

**Room 204**

Naruto slowly rose from his bed, stiff as it was, odd… his bed was terrible, sure but it wasn't this hard, and not this flat. It was lumpy, with little knives in the form of springs that stabbed at his back from all directions.

He opened his eyes, the walls were simple white, and finally, the smell of pungent disinfectant filled his nostrils and took residence at the back of his throat. He blinked, the shocking white walls became a bit more bearable.

"W-Wh-" he hacked and coughed. His throat felt raw and dry as sponge left too long in the sun. He took three quick gulps of water. His ears twitched to the side and he put his glass down.

"It is good to see you up and about, Naruto-kun." smiled the old man from the doorway, Naruto turned his head to face him, but he was startled by what his hand held.

"I-Ir-uka-sensei?"Naruto gasped, the events of the previous night came crashing down on him. Iruka-sensei's burning body, the smell of it, like meat left too long on the fire. The smell of burnt wood echoed through the smell, only for burnt hair to burst on through.

"Yes, it was most indeed unfortunate for the leaf to lose such a valued leader of our shinobi youth." the old man said thickly, squeezing the fabric of Iruka's Hitae-ate.

"I-it's all my fault." Naruto looked down into his stark white blankets. His shadow stared back at him. He squeezed on to the fabric and took note of the bandage that covered his wrists, in a sort of detached manner. "If I hadn't listened to Mizuki if I hadn't stolen the scroll if… if I wasn't.." _born, none of this would have happened._

"I will be the first to admit that I am highly disappointed in you, Naruto-kun," Naruto lowered his head even lower."however, I cannot fault you for following the orders of your teacher, and above all else your commanding officer. And as much as I am disappointed in you, I am even more so impressed by both your tenacity in facing a superior opponent but also the state of mind to call reinforcements while under duress."

Naruto looked into his Hokage's eyes, brightening ever so slightly. "it is for this reason, and this reason alone that I promote you to genin, Naruto Uzumaki." the Hokage went on, his tone strict and professional. "Stand and receive your forehead protector."

Naruto slowly swung his legs over the bed, feeling a rush of air as he jumped down. There was a tingle from his toes to his knee as he jumped down. Yet, none of that mattered as he walked towards his Hokage. Slowly his feet glided over the cold floor, sending it shivers over his body in a wave of goose-flesh

He came before his leader, kneeling down, touching his right knee to the floor, and his head bowed to the floor. He extended his hands forward, cupping them and said, just as he remembered Iruka-sensei had once said. "Hokage-sama, I am yours to wield. I will keep sharp for as long as I serve you in defense of the village."

"Indeed you will," Hiruzen muttered, he looked down at the blonde and decided. "Rise, and wear your forehead-protector with honor."

The boy looked down at the hitae-ate, gripping it tightly in his hands. Tears spilled freely from his eyes, raining down on the dark fabric.

Holes had been burnt into the material, and the ends were singed hard. it reminded Hiruzen of his own forehead-protector, the one he hadn't donned since the nine-tails had attacked twelve years ago.

Naruto tied the forehead-protector around his forehead, wiping away at his eyes with the back of his arm. "Um, old ma-er I mean Hokage-sama," Naruto swallowed thickly, as he tugged on the corner of his hitae-ate. "last night, Mizuki-well, he said that I'm the Kyuubi is that true?"

"Oh, no my dear boy. You are not the Kyuubi." Hiruzen said earnestly. He had to watch how he handled the next few conversations. If he had any missteps, he wasn't sure if the village would recover from the results. "You hold the Kyuubi, keeping it jailed. Keeping the village safe, you are a hero, Naruto-kun."

"T-that's what Iruka-sensei said," Naruto clenched his fist and squeezed his eyes shut. "but what does that mean?" he asked, then.

"Maybe I should start at the beginning. All the way up to the day you were born, the tenth of October. A day you know quite well, I'm sure." Hiruzen nodded, walking over to the window and cracking it open. He could feel the gentle breeze tickle his wrinkled skin, and the smell of fresh flowers filtered through, dampening the smell of disinfectant.

"Namikaze memorial day?" said Naruto, although the tone it was said in suggested it was a question. "what does that have to do with the Kyuubi or me?"

"What we never told your generation is how the Yondaime Hokage died. Only that he died on the tenth of October. You have to understand, that the people of this village, especially the shinobi were especially hurt by the passing of one of the most brilliant Hokage's to gain the title. He did not have the raw power of the Shodaime or the ruthless aggression and talent of the Nidaime. He didn't have my experience in war, nor was he fortunate to have been taught by the Shodaime and the Nidaime. Yet, he was a genius."

Hiruzen breathed in, inhaling the oxygen provided by the trees that surrounded Konoha, and a small, childish part of the old, hardened man liked to fantasize that it contained some of the Shodaime's power. Part of him still lived in this village. _And would be shamed if he could see you._

"However, for all his genius, he was taken down by the Kyūbi, however, he took the Kyūbi down with him. But not in the way you would think. He sealed the beast, into a newborn child. But not any child, you see he couldn't seal the Kyūbi into any child, it had to be a very special child. That night, there were only three infants around that could ever be considered for the sealing. You, Sasuke Uchiha, and another boy, much older than either of you, but it was still possible." Hiruzen explained. "Naturally he chose you, your Uzumaki blood was close enough to that of the first Hokage, that he believed you could hold the Kyūbi at bay, even if his seal somehow failed."

"Uzumaki blood?" the blonde sounded confused, he could practically see the youngster squeezing his eyes in concentration, much like Jiraiya was wont to do in his youth. "are you saying that I have like a ninja clan or something?"

"That is exactly what I'm saying. Although, Uzumaki is not the name of the clan but the village," he explained. "I'll explain later, but first, let me explain this Kyūbi business to you." Hiruzen turned to face the blonde. His eyes were drilling into the Kage with rapt attention. "He used a special seal on you, that allows a small portion of the Kyūbi's chakra to be released into your chakra system. It is the reason that you have such large pools of chakra and conversely why you have absolutely no control over that power." he took a seat on the hospital bed, and invited the boy to join him.

"You have to understand that he wished for you to be seen as a hero, but the shinobi forces were _understandably_ angry. They lost loved ones, they lost their Hokage and all because _they_ could not protect their village. Their very own leader was forced to save them at the price of his very own life-and yet, he was not alone!" Hiruzen allowed too much emotion to bleed through, and he took a calming breath.

"You were there, wrapped in a blanket, a seal on your stomach as red as the eyes of the beast that defiled their village. When all they could do was stand around and wait for their leader to save them. You laid there, wrapped in cotton blankets and you saved the whole village. It infuriated them. Their frustration soon bled over to the civilian population-who knew nothing about seals, and in their ignorance, they clung on to the frustration of those more knowledgeable, and hate reared its ugly head." Hiruzen shook his head, he had extended himself much to thin, almost risking his position as Hokage trying to sway the public opinion, but more often than not, fear was more powerful than the respect of an old man passed his prime.

"So, he chose me just because I was the best prison? Did he choose to shove all hate of the village on _me?_ Be-Because I was-I was what? The best option?" Naruto jumped off the bed, his feet shuddered as the ice of hospital floor bit into them. "was I nothing but a convenient excuse? No! I don't believe it. The forth-The Yondaime he was my hero. I refuse to believe he could be…he could do.."

"Naruto-kun, _be calm_ ," Hiruzen added some steel to his voice. "You do not worship the Yondaime because he was regarded as the most powerful, or the brightest shinobi of his age. You told me once, that from everything I told you about the Hokage. You _loved_ the forth for his will to do _anything_ to protect the village."

Naruto took a calming breath, it was true; he did say that. "Sometimes, you'll find, _anything_ can be very cruel and sometimes you will have to resort to the vilest of evils to protect the village and its people. I told you once that I saw this village as my family, and you have to understand, there isn't anything someone wouldn't do for a family. If it means to kill so your family survives or indeed subject a young orphan to a life of misery? Then so be it."

Naruto swallowed, part of him wanted to scream bloody murder for how callous he was being treated, but could he deny it? If he wanted to become Hokage he would have to do the same. Did he want to become Hokage?

"I think I understand," Naruto said after a moment's hesitation. He wasn't sure how to feel about it, and it wasn't something he could decide at a moment's notice, not with this new information that rattled around his head. Perhaps it was better to think of something happier, of something hopeful? "You said I had a family?"

"Yes, the emphasis on _had_. First I will explain the power of the people known as the Uzumaki. You see, your people came from a distant land, beyond Hi no Kuni. Your people were housed by a group of islands known as Uzushio." the old man shifted his weight on the bed. "They held miraculous powers, even in the eyes of shinobi. They were most notable for their fuinjutsu prowess. It is the same power that keeps the Kyuubi locked in your stomach." Naruto touched his stomach idly, still paying rapt attention to his the village leader. Of course it was this sealing prowess that caught the attention of every village, those affiliated with Uzu and those not. Especially those that were not."

"But all the villages get attention from other villages. That's how all those wars started, right?" asked Naruto. He had a sinking feeling that it wasn't a happy ending.

"Indeed you are correct. Except there had never before been a coalition so powerful as the force that fell upon Uzushio, and her shinobi village, Uzushiogakure no Sato. In one night, the entire village was razed to the ground. It is said that some survived and scattered to all the corners of the elemental nations." the old man dipped his head, his features crinkling. "The leaf was too late. We were unable to assist the Uzumaki, which is why we wear a red spiral upon our backs and our shoulders."

"So… there really aren't any left? I really am alone." Naruto dipped his head down, his bangs creating a shadow over his eyes. Why did he have to get his hopes up?

"No!" Naruto widened his eyes in shock, the old man grabbed on his shoulder, his grip strong as iron and yet its strength brought him comfort. "It is through your power and blood, that they live. I told you before that the Uzumaki are a people, not a clan. Uzumaki is the name granted to bastards with no knowledge of their lineage. There are many names given to the people of Uzu; just as numerous as the shinobi Clans of Konoha or Kiri. You have awakened a bloodline belonging to a once thought dead clan. The mere ability itself was thought to be lost to the eons and some thought of it as a mere legend. Indeed, my own father told me stories of the power. I had thought it to be a mere bedtime fable. Many had thought my father to have gone mad. But he never had."

"Old m-Hokage-sama, what was this clan called?" Naruto licked his lips, and he tried to still his trembling hands.

"The Shingetsu clan. They were said to have many powers, all vast and numerous, but the bedtime story my father told me: depicted shinobi that could exert their will over animals of the wild, as savage as they came and tamed them using them as their very own weapons," explained Hiruzen. The Shingetsu clan was thought to be as much of myth as the Otsutsuki clan. And yet all the myths had their foundation in fact. It was enough that one of the clans that claimed to be a vassal of the great Shingetsu clan would be a sensei to Naruto. Two descendants of Uzu in one team was bound to make waves.

"All those times I asked you If I had a family-all those times I asked if you knew who my parents were you said you didn't know. But you know, you know all about my family." his fists were shaking, and his hair seemed to flow with the current of an unseen force.

"I did not think you were ready, and at the time I had thought of them to be suspicions and nothing more. I handt want-"

"No!" Naruto roared, the current flowed through his blonde hair. It took on a slightly pale yellow tint as the room seemed to vibrate with his energy. "You are lying. You know who my parents were. I know. I don't know how but I know that you know who they are-who they were. You knew I was part of the Uzumaki cla-the Uzumaki people. The Yondaime wouldn't have used me if not."

It didn't take much to shock the Sandaime Hokage, and yet his silence was enough for Naruto to take a plunge out the hospital window. Hiruzen allowed himself to breathe when the power the boy exuded dulled. It wasn't the power of the Kyūbi. It was something else. In a word, it was: _otherworldly_.

* * *

Naruto paced his apartment.

The only reason he hadn't laid waste to the furniture and the rest of the apartment was that he had precious little to destroy, and whatever he did destroy wouldn't be much worse than it was before.

He couldn't believe it. He had a family and they were so feared that two shinobi villages fell upon-not just any shinobi village, but two of the great five. If he knew about it he would tell everyone and they would start respecti-ng him.

Was that why? Was that why the Sandaime hadn't told him? Because he would shout it to everyone that would listen. It was enough that he was an Uzumaki and had come from the village of Konoha, but if they knew he was part of this, Shingetsu clan? Maybe it would bring enemies to Konoha. To his friends.

What friends? A cynical area of his mind asked.

Naruto sunk into his couch, it was lumpy and the springs stabbed into his behind, and yet he paid it no mind. He sunk his head into the headrest and looked to the ceiling. He sighed, letting out a rattling breath and deflated even further into the couch.

Naruto felt the weight of the forehead protector on his head and he felt a chill come over his body, as he thought of his sensei. He would be extremely disappointed in the way that Naruto had acted.

He interlaced his fingers behind his head and closed his eyes. His breathing slowed, and not too long after he passed out.

That night he dreamed of darkness, _then_ there was light, expanding outward in a blaze of fearsome flames. Naruto could see his hands, they were red and inflamed by the heat of the explosion. The explosion seemed to reverse on itself, the darkness returned, in all but one spot.

A bubble of orange, and within was Iruka and Naruto.

**Naruto gasped beside him, he turned to Naruto and gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry Naruto, this is going to be over soon. Maybe I was too tough on you before. Here." Iruka untied his Hitae-ate from his forehead and passed it to Naruto. "Keep it safe for me, won't you? I expect you to be wearing it when I see you again."**

It played on repeat until Naruto approached the sphere, tears streaming down from his eyes. He tried to touch Iruka, more than anything he wanted to hug him. He wanted to imagine he was still there. He would visit the academy tomorrow and his old sensei would be there. He would be there one last time before Naruto went out on his first mission.

Naruto's hand phased right through the bubble and the orange light faded and the bubble cracked, an immense pressure shot from the bubble, accompanied by a screech that ripped into Naruto's chest throwing him into the air, and holding him in place.

The darkness wasn't present for long though, natural lighting from the stars and moon filtered in, the trees around Naruto was ablaze. The warm light was cast over the clearing, and the force that held Naruto in place seemed to restrict around him until his eyes caught sight of the blackened and mangled body of his sensei.

His right arm and leg had been completely disintegrated, along with the rest of his torso, all that remained was ahead, and whatever else remained, in a shrunken and blackened state that filled Naruto's nostrils with the smell of overly burnt toast.

He was bereft of his long hair, leaving only a blackened scalp in its place. The only feature that seemed to be intact was his kind brown eyes, that seemed to smile at naruto.

The force restricted him even more, and before he knew it, his eyes snapped open. His eyes were wide as he ran for the bathroom, his hand covered his mouth, but his legs were weak, trembling, he fell to a knee, and wretched on the spot.

The mix of brown and yellow sprayed over his wooden floors, his diaphragm heaved, and he felt a wave overcome him, forcing his mouth open and spreading a proverbial shower of bile on to his floor.

The puddle spread even further, and Naruto's strength gave out, he collapsed chest first into the floor, soaking his hospital gown with wretch. The smell was nauseating and caused another wave to erupt from his mouth, and when it stopped, his diaphragm was still heaving.

Naruto heaved himself off the floor. He leaned against the wall, breathing heavily. "S-Sen-SENSEI!" Naruto screamed then, slamming a loose fist into wooden floorboards without much strength. His body was wracked with shivers, and goose-flesh flew down the center of his spine as he closed his eyes.

His Sensei's mangled form flashed before him once more, this time he made it to the toilet bowl. His stomach cramped up, and his diaphragm heaved, and yet nothing would come forth.

He closed his eyes, squeezing them shut. His eyes flew open even faster, and his eyes normally blue and inviting had lost much of their luster and glassed over. He fell to his side, curling into a ball and allowed the soothing tiled floor to comfort him as cramps wracked his body.

Hours later the sun shone its rays through Naruto's frosted windows. The warm light found purchase on his bloodshot and puffy eyes.

Naruto weakly got up from his prone position, supporting himself on his bathroom sink. Chips were missing from the side of the sink and it bit into his skin, making an impression that left his hand red and lumpy.

Managing whatever meager strength he had, the blonde stumbled into the shower, and flipped the shower tap on, not taking any consideration for the position of the tap, nor waiting for the water to heat up.

He stood under the shower for what felt like hours, and he scrubbed. The hospital gown clung tightly to his form, almost like a second skin, and he scrubbed and scrubbed, willing himself to become clean, even as the water became colder, he didn't utter a single shudder.

Minutes later he stopped the flow of water, not moving from his position; simply staring at the white wall in front of him. It wasn't completely white, motley splotches of gray decorated the tiled wall in varying degrees.

He sighed, brushing his hand through his hair. Only then, did he notice that he had neglected to remove his Hitae-ate. He removed the hitae-ate, and gingerly so, the burnt cloth dripped coldly onto his hands and naval. Goose-flesh rippled across his body, but he didn't shudder, not even once.

His reflection looked back up at him from the nicked and pockmarked metal of the hitae-ate, slowly it morphed and Iruka's smiling face superimposed over his until it slowly morphed into a blacked, hairless parody of his former sensei.

Naruto grit his teeth, this time, unable to stop the tears that flowed down his whiskered cheeks. He shook his head vigorously, chasing the burnt specter from the reflective metal. His long, melancholic face returned, and for a second Naruto wished for the burnt face of his dead sensei to return.

Almost two hours had passed, Naruto had mopped his bile sodden floors and try as he might, the little bleach that he had left wasn't enough to mask the smell of his vomit, nor was the savory and salty smells of his steaming cup ramen, and frankly, it was nauseating.

Naruto donned a black vest and a pair of plain pants that hinged between black and navy, and around his ankles, he secured sandals of the same color. He may not have the ceremonial garments of a wake, but he would make do.

He secured, the slightly damp cloth around his bicep, and the metal gleamed in the sun as he stepped out of his apartment. Naruto paused mid-step, in his haste he had forgotten to water, Ukki-san, and Saito-san. He turned and locked his door with a click, they would be fine until he returned.

Naruto ducked in and out of alleys on his way to Hokage tower, whenever he was out in the clear, worse than the jeering and the glares, he saw people smiling(not at him of course) and going about their usual habits without even a limp in their step.

 _couldn't they see? One of their own was dead, shouldn't they be mourning the death of Iruka? Or even Mizuki. They had no reason to think of him as a traitor._ Naruto's right hand trembled in simmering anger.

He all but marched up to the Hokage's office, shoving a small boy wearing a gray, helmet of all things out of the way.

"Hey! Watch it you-you!" the pint-sized toddler squeaked after him, a rather pompous voice if Naruto had to describe it followed after but he had already closed the door of the old man's office.

"Good morning, Naruto-kun." the wizened Kage welcomed him, spreading warmth through his bones.

"Mornin' Jiji," Naruto returned in a lackluster manner. The Hokage made to continue the flow of the conversation, but Naruto brought an absolute halt to it. He bowed deeply before the old man. "I'm sorry for running out on you yesterday. And for the things I said, I-I was in a bad place but that isn't an excuse."

"It's quite alright, my boy," the old man said softly. "you wouldn't believe how often such a scenario has played before. Whether the student hides their emotions or has them on display for the world to see, they all have the same results and it _can_ be quite tragic."

"I see, well if that is all, may I be excused Hokage-sama." Naruto still had his head dipped in deference. If he had been looking, he would have caught the slightly pained expression that spread across the Hokage's face.

"Actually, I was meaning to speak with you. Will you take a walk with this tired old man?" asked the old Kage, his brown eyes speckled with mirth seemed to dance.

Naruto knew deep down that it wasn't a request but he couldn't find it in himself to deny it even if it were a request.

"U-uh, yeah." Naruto mumbled whilst trying to stifle a yawn.

Hiruzen pinned Naruto down with a piercing stare. _He hasn't been sleeping then? Not that I'm surprised, the scene was quite… gruesome. I had hoped that the Kyūbi chakra would wipe it from his mind. Kushina often said that she was set off in a berserker rage on the few occasions when the chakra slipped through the seal._

Hiruzen pondered as they reached the bottom steps of the building. How to help him? An unstable shinobi is one thing but an unstable jinchuriki? He cast a glance to the boy, his dark colors was quite curious. Naruto so dully dressed was an odd sight to be sure.

He won't speak to me, he knew that for a fact. The young blonde was putting up some tough facade for his Hokage, no not for his Kage, for his grandfather. He may call him Hokage-sama but Hiruzen knew he said it with just as much adoration as he said 'Jiji''.

Naruto glanced this way and that way, in and across each alley almost fugitively. He traced the young blondes gaze between the alley and the glares, although the guilty parties attempted to do so covertly. Hiruzen, however, was not a shinobi for nothing, let alone the God of Shinobi.

It would be best if he cut this walk short, for Naruto's own sake. They took a sharp turn to the right, and entered a plain office building, bypassing a room filled with scrolls upon scrolls packed neatly into honeycomb-styled shelves.

The mission room. Hiruzen glanced down at the blonde, as he visibly calmed once entering the building. Perhaps he had played a blind eye but there was nothing to do at this point. If he had pushed the issue the village would have plummeted into civil war. He had already committed extreme atrocities in the name of his village, the happiness of one boy was by far the tamest of those.

"You are of course wondering why I brought you here," Hiruzen broke the ice, the boy started, yet looked up at him curiously. "technically speaking, according to the administration, you are not quite a shinobi of our village. You require a shinobi card and of course, you still need to be designated a number."

Hiruzen stopped just as they reached the door, "I have to return to my office, Naruto-kun. I am expecting a delegate to visit me any moment now." that wasn't a lie, in fact, it was a delegate from the fire capital. He would have to leave Naruto in the hands of his team. Hopefully, with enough support, it would be enough to pull the boy out of his melancholy. "Here," He fished a scroll he had prepared for Naruto, from his person. "This scroll pertains to your new ability, read it well, and practice whenever you get the chance."

"Thank you, old-Hokage-sama." Naruto swallowed thickly, not expecting such a gift from the old man.

"And a little word of advice, once you reach genin, the library for shinobi becomes available and trust me when I say, the term professor doesn't come from the strength of my ninjutsu, genjutsu or taijutsu."

Naruto watched the form of the old man retreat, a smile playing on his lips and for a second, just a second, it felt as if the last twenty-four hours hadn't happened.

* * *

Three days later, Naruto's trip to the library had been anything but fruitless. Adhering to one of the lessons Iruka-sensei had been hammering into Naruto from day one. Unfortunately, it had taken his sensei's death for this lesson to hit home.

Naruto reacquainted his foot with a tree, as he tried to scale it sans hands, it got more than halfway up the length of a particularly thick tree, before losing traction and falling back to earth. It was good progress, he supposed. He had only been at it for a day, with very little sleep on top of that.

His eyes were beginning to look like he had gotten into a backyard brawl that had by no means gone his way. He couldn't even point in the direction of the other guy. Or perhaps he could; two dead men certainly fit the bill.

Those thoughts aside, there had to be a better way of reaching the top. He certainly stuck his sandals to the tree, but beyond that, he had a feeling that it was more momentum than anything else that was carrying him up the tree.

The book said that he was to keep a constant flow of chakra, that was the key to succeeding. Is that why he couldn't use Bunshin? Maybe he flooded them with chakra that was both high and low while completing the hand seals? In that case, perhaps it would be better if tried from a smaller base point.

"Ninja use hands for their Jutsu, so maybe it's easier to use chakra in your hands?" Naruto yawned, scratching at his head with his eyes scrunched up tightly. "The book said the feet were very hard to channel chakra into. Maybe I have to do that?"

Naruto decided to put it to the test, flowing chakra out of his palms. It was slow at first and when he made contact with the bark of the tree he was blown back, quite violently. He skidded across the training ground, not noticing curious eyes as they tracked him, whilst he kicked up dust and grass.

"O-okay, so maybe much less chakra," he dead-panned, suddenly he stilled as if catching something out of the ordinary, he pivoted from side-to-side, there _was_ something there his gut kept telling him. When had his gut ever led him wrong, he consciously ignored the part of his mind that reminded him of the most recent events, quite vividly. "Hey! Who's out there? Show yourself or I'll come get you, 'ttebayo!"

Out, from behind a tree came a small boy, wearing a yellow shirt with Konoha emblem on its center, and a long aquamarine scarf that dragged behind him on the floor. The most striking item of all (and Naruto believed he should have recognized the kid for this one item) was a helmet with an opening somewhere at the top. Tufts of brown hair poked out at the top of his gray head guard, and Naruto thought it was one of the oddest sights that he had _ever_ beheld.

"Who the hell are you Gaki? And what the hell do you want? I'm busy, 'ttebayo." Naruto demanded of the boy, the brat had an arrogant look about him that reminded him keenly of the likes of Kiba and Sasuke.

"I'm Konohamaru Sarutobi!" exclaimed the youth pointing to himself emphatically. "And I'm here to challenge you!"

* * *

**A/N: I had wanted to unveil Naruto's team in this chapter, but the chapter just kind of got away from me. Although they should make an appearance in chapter 3. I have done my best to explain in some detail, how this new ability works without letting too much go too soon.**

**Of course, more will be disclosed as Naruto himself progresses with this new ability. Alongside the information gathered about this ability, I gave you some world-building concerning the Uzumaki(that being the people and not the clan). I mean a whole island of Uzumaki? That doesn't make sense. Now if I say it is what the people of the island call themselves. Like a kind of nationality.**

**Anyway, leave thoughts and comments if you're up to it.**


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